my vowe, it being, to the best of my present judgement, only a mixed
compound drink, and not any wine.

[A drink, composed usually of red wine, but sometimes of white, with
the addition of sugar and spices. Sir Walter Scott ("Quarterly
Review," vol. xxxiii.) says, after quoting this passage of Pepys,
"Assuredly his pieces of bacchanalian casuistry can only be matched
by that of Fielding's chaplain of Newgate, who preferred punch to
wine, because the former was a liquor nowhere spoken against in
Scripture."]

If I am mistaken, God forgive me! but I hope and do think I am not. By
and by met with Creed; and we, with the others, went within the several
Courts, and there saw the tables prepared for the Ladies and Judges and
Bishopps: all great sign of a great dinner to come. By and by about one
o'clock, before the Lord Mayor came, come into the Hall, from the room
where they were first led into, the Lord Chancellor (Archbishopp before
him), with the Lords of the Council, and other Bishopps, and they to
dinner. Anon comes the Lord Mayor, who went up to the lords, and then to
the other tables to bid wellcome; and so all to dinner. I sat near Proby,
Baron, and Creed at the Merchant Strangers' table; where ten good dishes
to a messe, with plenty of wine of all sorts, of which I drunk none; but
it was very unpleasing that we had no napkins nor change of trenchers, and
drunk out of earthen pitchers and wooden dishes.--[The City plate was
probably melted during the Civil War.-M.B.]--It happened that after the
lords had half dined, came the French Embassador, up to the lords' table,
where he was to have sat; but finding the table set, he would not sit down
nor dine with the Lord Mayor, who was not yet come, nor have a table to
himself, which was offered; but in a discontent went away again. After I
had dined, I and Creed rose and went up and down the house, and up to the